


Old Ghosts

by yellowflickerbeats



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M, Underworld (Once Upon a Time)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-18
Updated: 2016-07-18
Packaged: 2018-07-24 16:42:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,242
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7515580
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yellowflickerbeats/pseuds/yellowflickerbeats
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>She had always thought Snow White’s history had been complicated, but it seems hers was just as bad.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Old Ghosts

**Author's Note:**

> a small one-shot that takes place post 5x17 'her handsome hero', right after belle pushes gaston into the river of lost souls. enjoy!

The walk back to the shop with Rumplestiltskin was quiet, but the air was thick.

Belle could not believe she had just condemned her ex-fiancé to a fate worse than the underworld itself. 

She knew she could be impulsive at times, as she always had been. However, this was something she had not expected to do. She was trying to help Gaston move on, not put him two steps back. 

The thought itself made Belle’s stomach churn uncomfortably. 

The two eventually reached the shop, and Belle felt downright sick at this point. She let go of Rumplestiltskin’s hand, the one she had been holding the entire walk, and darted to the back of the shop and out the back door. She quickly emptied the contents of her stomach onto the grass before sighing, taking a few steps back until her back was against the wall. What had she done?

Thankfully, the nausea had passed, but Belle wasn’t sure what to chalk it up to. It could be from her barely there pregnancy, or just the dark deed she had committed. She knew the answer.

Belle stood out there for several minutes by herself, trying to process what had happened before the back door opened. She needn’t look, as she already knew there was only one person who would be checking on her right now. 

The new figure closed the door behind himself, sighing at the sight of her standing against the wall. “Are you alright?”

A hard laugh was all Belle could muster up. She didn’t turn to look at her husband’s face. 

“I just killed my ex-fiancé,” she choked out, her eyes on the brink of tearing up. She could somehow feel Rumplestiltskin tense up at the words and shift his weight. 

“He was already dead, Belle,” he murmured softly, in a way that was meant to comfort her but didn’t sound right at all. “I killed him, long ago.”

The words felt wrong, but he was right. Gaston had been dead for decades, and it was all at the hands of her husband. Belle wanted to laugh again. She had always thought Snow White’s history had been complicated, but it seems hers was just as bad.

“And I finished him off,” Belle eventually said, disgusted with herself. This wasn’t what a hero did. A hero would have made sure he moved on, away from this place, no matter what. 

There was silence then. Not an uncomfortable silence, just one that proved the two had been through a lot. One that could have showed Belle wasn’t the hero she thought she was. Eventually, she was the one who decided to break the silence. 

“Why’d you do it?”

The words caught Rumplestiltskin off guard, something that very rarely happened. “Excuse me?”

“Why did you kill Gaston, in the first place?” Belle elaborated, her face going hard. She finally turned to look at the man standing beside her. He seemed taken aback. 

“I already said, you were in an arranged marriage,” he muttered, knowing the topic was even more sensitive after the most recent event. 

Belle laughed. “I know you, Rumplestiltskin, and that’s not why,” she said a matter-of-factly, knowing she officially had the upper hand. 

He went to move his mouth, but nothing came out. Somehow, his wife always had the capability to leave him speechless. 

Belle sighed. “If you are worried about what I might say, don’t be. I’m not going to judge why you did it. It’s done. I just want you to be _honest_ with me.” Honestly was all Belle ever wanted, and if she had to look past the dark deeds he had done in order to get it, then that’s what she needed to do. 

“Belle,” he said softly, taking a step closer to where she stood. The notion caused Belle to sigh. 

“You don’t want to tell me,” she replied, distantly. Rumplestiltskin shook his head. 

“No, I do, Belle. I’m just...unsure of how to word it,” he murmured. Belle chuckled before nodding. She took her back off the wall. 

“Well then, let me know when you figure it out,” she answered, turning on her heels and marching away from where Rumple stood. She could hear him call after her, but she wasn’t going to wait forever. If he found the words and they were the truth, she’d listen. 

\- - -

Belle had quickly learned that the Underworld was an exact replica of Storybrooke, except with redder skies and meaner residents. 

She wasn’t sure where exactly she wanted to go, as the pawnshop and the library were both out of the question. She thought about heading to Granny’s, but decided against it. No one down here wanted to be her friend. 

In the end, she decided to head to the large house that stood toward the outskirts of town. The one that her and Rumple had shared back in the Storybrooke. 

She carefully checked to make sure no one resided there, and quickly found the house to be empty. Belle made her way through the rooms, an eerie feeling creeping over her. If their home back in Storybrooke held rough memories, their home here was much worse. It was as if the home was just waiting for someone to live here. Belle felt uneasy at the thought. 

She thought about searching the rest of the rooms, in hopes of finding something they could use to break the contract Hades held over them, but she was tired. Both emotionally and physically, and she just wanted to rest. 

Belle made her way up the stairs and found their Storybrooke-equivalent bedroom. She removed the coat she had been wearing her entire journey, as well as her shoes, before falling on top of the large bed that stood against the wall. She readjusted to get more comfortable and sighed. Hopefully when she awoke, Rumple would be ready to talk to her. 

\- - - 

When she did awake several hours later, everything was as it was before she succumbed to sleep. A quick inspection of the bed showed no one else to have come in, making Belle sigh. Rumplestiltskin still hadn’t come to look for her. 

Well, if he wasn’t in the mood for sharing yet, then neither was she. There was plenty for her to do in the meantime. She knew Emma and the rest would need her help sooner or later, and she could always get started on releasing their baby from the contract. 

Yes, there was plenty for her to do. 

\- - -

She wasn’t one to give up, and she didn’t want to give up. She knew there had to be a way to save their child. A way that was right. But after pouring over books upon books of information regarding Hades, she knew she alone had no chance. 

She had spent hours in the library, pulling every book she could about Greek mythology. Her efforts were fruitless though. There was no information regarding him, or how they could stop him. 

In the end, she couldn’t bear to look at the sight of her efforts, and somehow, her feet took her to the water. The River of Lost Souls. 

She sat on the edge - not too close - just close enough so she could watch the harbor. She snuck a glance down at the river itself, the sight causing her to gasp. So many souls were condemned to that river, stuck. Helpless. 

And Belle was the reason one of them was down there. 

“Hey,” a voice murmured from behind her, causing Belle to gasp in surprise. She had expected to be alone. 

“Hi,” she replied, upon realizing who it was. She had been so caught up in her research that she had forgotten the question she had posed to Rumple earlier. Maybe he was finally ready to talk. He sat down beside her, staring out at the water. “What have you been up to?” Belle eventually inquired. 

He shrugged at her question. “Reading,” he answered, causing Belle to raise an eyebrow at him.

“And what were you reading?” She asked, genuinely curious at this stage. 

Rumple laughed. “Of course you’d be interested in what I was reading,” he replied with a small smile, “books regarding.. light magic.”

Belle was a tad shocked at the answer, but it caused her to let loose a tiny smile. “Really?”

He nodded. Belle nodded in response before redirecting her attention back out at the water. He was trying. She had to give him some credit for that. 

“And,” he started again, breaking Belle from her thoughts, “I have the answer to your question.” 

The statement caused Belle to tense up a bit. She had said earlier that she wouldn’t judge him no matter what he had to say, but it had been so long ago. She had time to think about it, and what if it was for some cruel, gruesome reason. One she couldn’t forgive. 

But Belle knew she couldn’t let her fears get in the way. She needed to be brave. 

“I’m listening,” she replied, turning to face him once again. 

She heard him sigh. “There was no old woman selling flowers, Belle.” 

Belle furrowed her eyebrows, confusion forming on her face. “What are you talking about?”

“Back in our land, at the castle,” he began, “after we had discussed the topic of my son.” He said, his voice cracking at the mention of Baelfire. Belle’s heart ached for both him and Neal. “Someone had knocked on the door,” he elaborated, regaining his composure.

Belle knew what he was talking about, and the memory made her smile. They were so different then. It was so much simpler. “I remember. And when you came back, you brought me a rose,” she finished for him, the first hint of genuine happiness appearing on her face. 

“Yes,” he responded, exchanging a smile between her before recomposing himself once again. “Belle, someone did knock on the door, but no one was selling flowers,” he explained, hoping she would catch on before he actually had to explain himself. 

Belle furrowed her brows. Was this some kind of riddle? “I don’t understa- oh my goodness,” Belle exclaimed, understanding reaching her midway through her sentence. “Y-you turned Gaston into a _rose_?”

Rumplestiltskin gave her a sheepish smile, but he was mentally preparing for her to be furious. Belle wanted to scream, thinking of how she had trimmed the rose and placed it on top of the dining room table. She had no idea it was once Gaston. 

She couldn’t scream though. Of course. Belle had made a promise earlier. A promise where she wouldn’t judge what misdeeds her husband had done, as long as he was honest with her. He seemed to be doing a pretty good job so far. 

“Alright, so you killed Gaston,” she forced through her teeth, the words making her head ache, “and turned him into a rose, which you gave to me.” She processed, realizing that everything had begun to make a whole lot more sense. Even though the topic at hand had turned so sour, Belle couldn’t help but let loose a smile. She didn’t need him to tell why he had killed Gaston, she already knew. 

“You did it because you wanted Gaston out of the picture, didn’t you?” She said, not even giving him a chance to retaliate. Of course he had. Belle was clever, and she knew how Rumplestiltskin felt about her back at the Dark Castle. 

“I-” again, Rumplestiltskin was speechless. Belle beamed. 

“While I appreciate the gesture, you didn’t need to kill him, Rumple. I already knew you cared about me, you silly man,” Belle said, a small smile still plastered on her features as she slid closer to where he sat. 

“You did?” He questioned, his words finally making an entrance. Belle chuckled in response. 

“Of course! You weren’t very discreet about it,” she said, licking her lips, “but I liked it, because I cared about you as well.”

Rumplestiltskin laughed. “It’s not like it really matters now,” he answered with a gentle smile. The comment caused Belle to laugh as well and nod in agreement. 

“I do believe it all worked itself out in the end,” Belle added on, a sigh escaping her lips as she moved even closer to where he sat, to the point where they were both touching. Their little journey down memory lane had tugged on Belle’s heartstrings in the right way, it seemed. 

“Look, Belle. I just want you to know-” Rumple started, only to be cut off by his wife lips on his. She had kissed him by surprise earlier, but this one was so much better. The two eventually parted, allowing Belle to take hold of his hand. 

“Let’s not talk right now. Let’s just...be us. At least for a little bit,” Belle pleaded, tracing her thumb over his hand. She didn’t know what the future held for the two of them, or their unborn child. But right now, after witnessing her husband be so honest with her, Belle knew they were okay and she wanted to enjoy it. 

Rumple nodded. “Alright,” he murmured softly. Belle nodded in return and shifted so she could rest her head on his shoulder. He quickly moved his arm and wrapped it around her, pulling her even closer into the embrace. 

They’d enjoy this moment together, after so many moments apart. Then, they’d tackle the task of releasing their unborn child from Hades’ grasp. Together.


End file.
